Abbas-run newspaper further extols yeshiva killer

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 |
by Staff Writer

A leading Palestinian daily newspaper funded and controlled by the regime of US-backed Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has heaped further praise and adulation on an Israeli Arab terrorist who recently murdered eight young Jewish bible students in Jerusalem.

In its Friday, March 14 edition, Al-Hayat Al-Jedida ran a feature story lamenting that Ala Abu Dheim, who was shot dead during the course of his murderous rampage through a prominent Jerusalem yeshiva, had been buried in a secret nighttime funeral without a proper procession to honor the "holy martyr."

The article made use of Islamic religious language, referring to the deceased killer as a "groom" and his burial as his "wedding" to the 72 virgins Islam promises to those who are killed in the service of Allah.

The newspaper also reported that thousands of residents of the Israeli Arab Jerusalem-area village of Jabel Mukabar had excitedly anticipated taking part in the funeral procession, and were greatly disappointed to hear that the Dheim had been quietly buried at night.

Earlier this month, the US Congress put a hold on the transfer of economic aid to the Abbas government over concerns that the latter was still encouraging terrorist violence against Israeli Jews. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week assured a House Appropriations subcommittee that Congress could trust Abbas and should continue to shower him with US taxpayers' dollars.

Want more news from Israel?Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates